The electronic ID cards, travel document and electronic residence permit have been up to standards throughout the European Union in order to improve document security and safety. Documents relevant to residence law are issued to citizens of other EU member states or non-EU countries (known as third-country nationals) on a unique case bases. The electronic travel document for foreigners, refugees and stateless persons was introduced in Germany in November 2007, even for illegal migrants.The electronic European ID Cards contain a digital photograph of the document holder. A second-generation travel document, which also includes two digital fingerprints, has been issued since 29 June 2009.This new technology ensures a high level of security against forgery and document fraud. Like the electronic passport or bimetric documents for european citizens , the new German ID cards and other documents are intended to hugely improve and hasten up identity controls. In addition, the card-holder information and biometric data stored on the chip prevent forgery and misuse by unauthorized persons, thereby making it easy to track criminals and fake documents. Foreigners can view the data stored on the chip of their electronic travel document at foreigners authorities using a special chip reader.
The type of data stored on the chip in the electronic ID card document is the same as for the passport, including the following personal and document-related information:
first and last name, date of birth, sex and nationality;
serial number, issuing country, document type and date of expiry.
The biometric ID card could act as a passport substitute, so it must be suitable for determining whether the person presenting the document during an identity check is also the rightful document holder. In addition to a conventional visual check, it is also possible to check the electronic travel document using a machine, which is the most important reason for introducing chip technology and biometrics in personal identification documents.
To control the electronic ID card using a machine, officials must be able to access the data on the chip. At the same time, this data must be protected against unauthorized access and theft. In a legal inspection, the document holder hands the document over to the inspector, who opens the document and scans its machine-readable zone (MRZ). The last three items of information are used to generate a key which the document reader sends to the document in order to gain access to the data stored on the chip. That is, the document releases its data when the date of birth, document number and date of expiry are sent to it.As especially sensitive personal data, the fingerprints stored on the chip receive additional protection on top of the already high security standard. Germany went for an additional security mechanism and developed it in the relevant European bodies under the protection and control of the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Office for Information Security.
This additional protection has been added to the second-generation electronic travel document: The fingerprints on the chip can be read only by countries which Germany has granted special access rights.
The electronic residence permit contains a chip on which personal data, biometric features (digital photograph and two fingerprints) and any residence or employment restrictions are stored. The biometric data may be read only by official authorities such as foreigners authorities or the police. These data prevent forgery and fraud and are intended to help fight illegal immigration and residence.
The card itself is comparable to the new national identity card for German nationals, as it has the same optional electronic functions and offers additional advantages:
Card holders can use online services securely,
government authorities and online shops have access to a larger number of potential clients and customers using the online identification function, and
card holders can register with Internet portals and prove their age more safely and easily.
Only those service providers who have a government-issued authorization certificate are allowed access to card-holder data.
The electronic residence permit is also prepared for qualified electronic signature (QES), which allows card holders to sign legally binding digital documents, such as contracts. To use this function, card holders must purchase the necessary certificate.
For third-country nationals who had a valid residence permit in the form of a sticker, nothing changed on 1 September 2011; these permits remain valid until their original date of expiry. Electronic residence permits are issued to third-country nationals applying for renewals or new permits.
Applications for all residence permits should be submitted to the foreigners authorities. Permit applicants should note that the electronic residence permits take longer to produce and issue.
Note: You must apply for a residence permit, German ID card, European ID cards via the services of courier companies like voyagewatchers For more information about the application procedure, please ask contact and ask the voyagewatchers team for help For real ID cards online.